Supreme intercostal vein

Vein: Supreme intercostal vein

Intercostal spaces, viewed from the left. (Highest intercostal vein labeled at upper right.)

The venæ cavæ and azygos veins, with their tributaries. (Highest intercostal labeled, very faintly, written vertically, to the right of the aortic arch.)
Latin	vena intercostalis suprema
Gray's	subject #172 666
Drains to	brachiocephalic vein
Artery	intercostal arteries

The supreme intercostal vein (highest intercostal vein) is a paired vein that drains the first intercostal space on its corresponding side.

It usually drains into the brachiocephalic vein.^[1] It can also drain into the superior intercostal vein, or the vertebral vein of its corresponding side.

Clinical significance

This vein does not have valves, this is an important point when it comes to spread of cancerous secondaries.

Coronary sinus	Great cardiac (Left marginal) · Posterior of the left ventricle · Oblique of the left atrium (Ligament of the left vena cava) · Middle cardiac

Small cardiac vein	Anterior cardiac (Right marginal)

Smallest cardiac veins	Right atrial veins · Right ventricular veins

right inferior pulmonary vein · right superior pulmonary vein · left inferior pulmonary vein · left superior pulmonary vein

Brachiocephalic	internal thoracic (anterior intercostal, superior epigastric) · left superior intercostal · supreme · vertebral · subclavian (axillary: lateral thoracic, thoracoepigastric, dorsal scapular, external jugular) · pericardiacophrenic · internal jugular

Azygos	right superior intercostal · bronchial · intercostal/posterior intercostal 5-11 · accessory hemiazygos/hemiazygos · superior phrenic

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noco/syva/cong/lyvd/tumr, sysi/epon, injr

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